You and I and others are
different – that is plain to see – still all can agree that we:

live in the same year

wake-up to a yesterday

tend to yackety-yack to one another during
recess

yawn when we are tired

enjoy trying a yoyo

think our favourite foods are yummy

know what is young and what is old

shout yes when the teacher asks if we can help

believe the sun is yellow

know how to print the letter Y

In my view, the most
significant contributions made by transnational institutions like McDonald’s is
that people can use them as bridges to other cultures. In the present case, it
is American culture that makes the Beijing McDonald’s ultimately attractive to
Chinese consumers. The customers want a “taste” of America, and the outcome of
their pursuit is the creation of a Chinese version of American fast food
culture. McDonald’s success in Beijing can therefore be understood only in the
context of this localization process. Given the centuries-long development of Chinese
cuisine, it is only natural that foreign foods have undergone the
transformative process of localization. It is also tempting to predict that,
twenty years from now, the “American” associations that McDonald’s carries
today will become but dim memories for older residents. A new generation of
Beijing consumers may treat the Big Mac, fries, and shakes simply as local
products.